Suction has long been employed in the management of surgical wounds. Closed suction systems are employed to evacuate the wound space and carry potentially deleterious materials away from the patient and to control swelling. Suction has also been employed in the care of open, chronic wounds or hard to heal wounds such as pressure sores.
Basic cellular functions, such as oxygen transport and cellular transduction signaling, are carried out at the capillary level. Chronic wounds such as pressure sores or bed sores are, by definition, a result of poor or impaired circulation and contain ischemic and necrotic tissues. It is desirable to stimulate circulation in the underlying wound tissue through the use of suction.